


A Snowman's Gift

by gillyAnne



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Christmas, F/M, MSR, abominable snowman, casefic? kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21883888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillyAnne/pseuds/gillyAnne
Summary: On a dark. cold evening in December, Mulder calls Scully to go snowman hunting.
Relationships: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 17
Kudos: 37
Collections: X-Files Secret Santa Fanfic Exchange (2019)





	A Snowman's Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RoseThornhill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseThornhill/gifts).



> Dear Alyse,  
> Your prompt was simple. MRS + yeti.  
> I was stumped. Also slightly intimidated by the idea of writing for you. But I had fun!  
> I hope you like the way this came out! Merry Christmas!
> 
> Set some time after the cancer arc, no specific episodes and I most likely messed up any timing and/or geography. I try.

‘Scully.’

‘Scully, it’s me,’ a familiar, annoyingly over-excited voice sounded through the phone. Scully sighed. ‘Mulder.’

She was just thinking about him. Wrapping presents for her family her mind had wandered as she’d wrapped his gift. He’d chosen this exact moment to call her, and from the tone of his voice she derived one thing: He needed her to go somewhere with him. She just hoped it wasn’t cold, and that she’d be home for Christmas.

‘We’re flying to Canada, Scully. A buddy of mine called, he needs my help. Actually, he’s in Washington, he needs me to go to Canada… Never mind, just pick me up at the office later.’ Scully sighed again. ‘Scully...’ Mulder heard and almost felt her exasperation. ‘I’ll have you home in time to attend Christmas mass.’

‘Okay,’ Scully conceded. ‘Canada, huh.’

‘Yep. We’re sasquatchin’, Scully. Bring a coat.’

If she wasn’t skeptical or mildly annoyed already she definitely was, now. ‘Is there any real evidence, or a case, even, Mulder? Or are we just chasing monsters?’

‘There is a case, and you won’t believe the evidence. Just wait until we get there.’

She shook her head, rolled her eyes and folded. ‘All right. Text me the details.’

As she went to disconnect she heard Mulder ruffle, presumably packing already. She found it charming, deep down, his boyish passion and excitement for things that could never be founded in science. Sometimes she questioned if he even really believed in them, or if it was just a way to explore the unexplained, research phenomena and their backgrounds instead of actually expecting to find a monster. She didn’t know, but it intrigued her nonetheless. And she’d get another chance to find out soon enough, as they were about to fly to the mountains of Canada where presumably a yeti was wreaking havoc.

Checking the weather Scully buried her face in her hand as she found out she’d need to bring not one, but two winter coats if she were to survive the temperatures. A sound coming from her phone told her Mulder had texted her the information and she quickly calculated the time she’d need while fetching her overnight bag and suitcase. Sighing she closed her eyes to calm herself down as she realized she might not be home for Christmas. She might be doing what she’d been doing for a few years now – chasing creatures, stories, legends. She sighed as she realized she didn’t really care – her Christmas miracle this year had been life. Her gift, Mulders gift to her, had been a future. And she wanted, no needed him close as much as possible because the ticking time bomb that was their safety was now clearer than ever. Even if she couldn’t tell him how she felt and what had been coiling inside of her for years now she knew he must have some idea. And for now, that was enough, as long as she could be around him for a little longer, debunking his crazy theories, admiring is tenaciousness, pretending to be annoyed to the ends of the earth and back.

Just as Dana was ready to leave she heard her landline ring. Before picking up she knew who would be calling. ‘Scully.’

‘Hi Dana, how are you?’ the warm but slightly concerned voice of her mom rang clearly in her ears. ‘Good, mom, I’m just heading out.’ Dana sighed. She should probably tell Margaret Scully she might be celebrating another Christmas without her.

‘To work?’ Maggie questioned carefully. ‘At five PM?’

‘Yes, mom. I’m… Headed to Canada, actually. I don’t know when I’ll be back.’ There, that was done.

‘But... What about Christmas dinner? And are you coming to church with us?’

Scully cleared her throat. She didn’t like it when her mom was concerned about her, and she knew Maggie Scully had been more concerned as of late – they hadn’t been in contact much and it had been a bit scary for Margaret, who had only just gotten her daughter back from a brush with death.

‘I don’t know, mom,’ Scully answered honestly. ‘I don’t know when we’ll be back. But I’ll be fine, and I’ll let you know if I need to cancel.’

‘Well, sweetheart, you’re going to miss Christmas if you’re leaving today.’

There was no accusation in Margaret’s voice, just truth. Scully had learned to recognize truth when she heard it, and so she conceded. ‘You’re right. I’ll call you when I’m home.’

She heard her mother release a shaky breath that said more than a thousand words before a quiet ‘okay, be safe,’ sounded and the line disconnected, leaving her feeling strangely displaced, imbalanced, torn.

Somehow time seemed to be lost and soon Scully couldn’t or didn’t care to remember how they got on the plane, or the time it took them to get on board. She settled in her chair, feeling Mulder do the same next to her, his strong frame warming the seat and her skin as it folded itself into the cushions beside her. She leaned in a little, finding his warmth, and he smiled in her direction. ‘It’s not far,’ he said, presumably trying to talk himself out of the trouble she was about to get him in for dragging her out to God knows where, at this time, on this day. And she hadn’t even opened her mouth yet. ‘Okay,’ she said, and she realized her silence was probably the worst punishment she could give him.

‘Sorry to fly you all the way across country before Christmas,’ Mulder said as he grabbed a file from his duffel bag, ‘But you won’t believe this. It’s an abominable snowman, Scully. An actual yeti. They’ve been spotted in those mountains but never before have they attacked anyone like this. There’s two victims so far. Look at it, the marks are consistent with claws on a creature bigger than anything known to roam those woods.’ Scully raised an eyebrow at him. ‘We’re going into the woods. Great.’

‘Oh come on, it’ll be fun,’ Mulder exclaimed, handing her a stack of gruesome photos as he pointed out where the so-called yeti claw marks were clearly visible. ‘This could just be a leopard, Mulder. Or.. I don’t know, a man with a manicure and a lot of anger. It doesn’t scream yeti to me.’

‘Nothing ever screams yeti to you,’ Mulder said, his voice excited and awake. Scully studied him for a moment, allowing her eyes to travel slowly from his happy eyes down to his beautifully curved lips. His expression made her smile, because she was happy to see him excited again. It brought her to life, and it kept her that way.

A few uneventful hours later Scully woke to the tender touch of Mulder’s fingers on her cheek as they curled her hair behind her ear while trying to gently wake her. ‘Time to go,’ Mulder said. Around them people were getting up from their seats and collecting their belongings and Scully frowned to herself – it had been a while since she’d slept through a plane landing. Mulder looked at her as the thoughts washed over her features. ‘I guess you needed the shut-eye,’ he commented. She granted him a smile and followed him down the aisle as the doors opened to let the passengers off.

The road to their motel was long and soon Scully was asleep again tucked away in the passenger seat. Mulder softly whistled his way through the bends and curves in the road, glancing over at his partner every other minute to make sure she was okay.

The forest around them got thicker and the night got darker as they approached their accommodation. It was already way past midnight, and although Mulder wanted to get going on the case he also couldn’t wait until he could drop down on his bed, fully clothed, to get some much-needed sleep. His brain seemed to slowly be falling asleep as the hypnotizing lines on the street ahead of him guided him to their motel.

Suddenly, a shadow passed next to the car, and Mulder cursed as he saw a dark figure appear and disappear between the trees beside the road. ‘Shit!’

Scully jumped, instantly awake. ‘What?’ she called, her hands shooting up to protect herself as Mulder pushed the brakes. ‘Look!’ he exclaimed as he pointed in front of the car.

A black shadow rolled onto the road, trembling the ground underneath them, shaking the car as it finally came to a screeching halt. The figure rose up, stood tall in the mist just avoiding the cars headlights before bending down and wandering off again. It roared, a thundering sound neither of them had heard before. ‘Dammit,’ Mulder cursed under his breath. ‘What was that?’

Scully looked at him, her eyes big. ‘Whatever it was, it’s gone,’ she said. ‘And it sure as hell wasn’t your yeti.’

Mulder looked at her incredulously. ‘It was huge, Scully,’ he said, and she shook her head. ‘Can your theories wait until we have something substantial to go on?’

‘Like what?’ Mulder challenged.

‘Like… Something other than a shadow in the middle of the night and a few claw marks?’

Mulder huffed. ‘Those claw marks were deemed unexplained by the game keeper,’ he stated proudly. ‘It’s in the report.’

‘The same report that states the game keeper has been arrested multiple times on a drunk and disorderly?’ Scully shot back.

Mulder looked at her before focusing his gaze back on the road. ‘Whatever. We’ll be at the hotel soon.’

Scully pursed her lips and raised her eyebrow as she focused back on the case file that had slid down onto the floor. Sighing deeply she tried to expel the adrenaline from her bones as she started reading again.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Scully mumbled into the night as she got out of the car.

In front of them was their hotel for the night. On the edge of very dark woods stood a building, with lights flickering and a sign hanging on for dear life on a rusty chain on a door that looked questionable at least. Mulder looked at her, walking half a step behind her, his hand coming up to almost touch her back before a deep sigh from Scully blew his confidence to the forest floor beneath them. He dropped his hand again, following Scully to the door of the reception.

A man greeted them nicely enough, gave them their keys and pointed them to the far corner of the building. ‘Call me Wilson,’ he said. ‘I hope you FBI agents get some sleep,’ he added just before turning back. ‘There’s been some strange noises coming from the forest.’

‘Perfect,’ Scully muttered. The owner turned back. ‘Oh, I’m sure it’s bears or something. Just… Don’t be scared if you hear the bins rattling. Those bastards like to trash the place.’

‘See, Scully? Bears after all,’ Mulder added, gloating at her. She stared at him a second beyond his comfort and a boyish smile crossed his face before he looked down in slight embarrassment.

‘Thank you,’ Scully waved off the owner, who disappeared back into the main building.

Soon they were in their separate rooms, in separate beds, but their minds were united around one subject: Each other. This case. Their first case back like this, chasing very real and perhaps hot so mystical monsters through the dark while trying to prove Mulder’s crazy theories. Scully sighed into the sleeve of her pajama top. She was cold, uncomfortable and the blankets were scratchy against her dry skin, but she found herself silently happy. Her heart felt free, she was alive and she was back on the road with her spooky partner and everything felt better, more intense, but also more urgent. Every second he spent next to her was a second wasted, it seemed, and even though she was okay she was more aware of the ticking clock that chased them than she had ever been. She owed him her life. This extraordinary partnership, this extraterrestrial force that existed between them had kept her alive once more and she knew that by surviving she’d saved him as well. It was in everything he did. She heard it in the way he answered his phone, in the way he said her name. She saw it in the way he walked and in the color of his eyes. She felt it in the touch of his lips to her skin – and they’d been touching her skin more often than before, although never in the places she deeply craved them – and most of all in the air that surrounded them. It was calmer when he was close, safer, more whole. So even though she resented the idea of dependence she welcomed the safety he offered. For as long as he’d be able to offer it. For as long as she’d be able to resist anything else.

At 6AM the next morning Scully jolted awake, the white flashing noises coming from outside enough to thunder through her brain and rouse her from her dreamless sleep. ‘What the hell?’ she cursed as she pushed herself up and out of bed, towards the window. Drawing the curtains aside she jolted back.

Right in front of her was a figure, a man, a man she recognized by the slight hunch of his shoulders and the outline of his arms after the initial shock had subsided. ‘Mulder?’

The man turned and she could see that it indeed was her partner standing outside as around him tiny snowflakes started to drift down. ‘Scully, hi,’ she heard his almost casual voice through the thin glass. ‘I heard something. Sorry I woke you.’ She shook her head and looked at him before nodding her head in the direction of her door. ‘Come on, you must be freezing. Do you even know what time it is?’

As he brushed past her into her room she sighed deeply. It was early, but not too early to feel a familiar warmth spread through her as she remembered all the times they’d been together like this. She missed him. And she caught herself stubbornly hoping he missed her.

‘Scully?’ Mulder asked, his puppy eyes directed at her and she realized he’d been rambling.

‘Sorry, what?’ she said. ‘It’s early Mulder, and you just scared the crap out of me.’

He shrugged and moved to make instant coffee. ‘Just saying, there was something out there. Maybe it’s our monster.’

Scully smiled at him, sighed deeply and turned back to get her clothes and get dressed in the tiny bathroom attached to the room. ‘Be right back,’ she grinned. ‘Don’t let the monsters get you.’

The snow was relentless and the forest ruthlessly cold and icy as they followed Deputy Guilford down to the first crime scene. The body had been removed and the crime scene disturbed, but after insisting that any evidence would be long gone and she’d most likely be confused rather than informed by its secrets Scully still found herself being dragged towards the opening in the forest. She dutifully followed her partner through frozen branches and slippery leaves as Mulder chatted away to her, to the deputy, and to any entity inhabiting these woods – although the deep silence around them was indicatory of no life at all.

The crime scene was eerily abandoned and cold, like a haunted house long forgotten, and Scully felt a chill run down her spine at the sight – There were still traces of blood, of torn off branches and broken trees all around an opening in the woods that seemed to be illuminated by the single ray of watery, thin sunlight that penetrated the wooden bars of the forest. A sense of imprisonment washed over Scully, and she saw Mulder wasn’t unaffected either as he protectively reached his hand out to touch her shoulder. This time it followed through and it lay there briefly, waiting for Scully to inevitably move away. And she did, true to her own stubbornness she stepped forward and felt the weight of Mulder’s hand swish down in the thick air behind her. ‘I assume soil samples were taken?’ she said, her voice strong and betraying nothing. The deputy nodded. ‘Yes ma’am. And we made a mold of a few of the tread marks we found.’

Mulder looked up. ‘Can you show me?’

The deputy nodded and took him to the side. Scully looked around the crime scene, cataloging every mark and disturbance she saw – until she found she possessed too little brain capacity to capture everything, and she gave up. This forest clearly was a much used recreational area and the police had done a very poor job of preserving any evidence.

As she stared around her, trying to find something that stood out as particularly criminal or alien to her, she saw a gust of wind blow through the fog in the trees to their right. It disturbed the thick air, catching her attention, and she saw a path lead away from the clearing. History should have told her not to follow the path. However deeply rooted scientific curiosity paired with a heightened desire to prove Mulder wrong sent her on her way, one, two, five steps in the direction of a quiet rustling of leaves.

Then, she saw it. A dark creature, a bore, perhaps a bear, bent over but looking in her direction. Her breath hitched as she watched it, her brain deciding if she should look away or not, until the figure slowly started to rise. She watched, feet stuck on the ground, unwilling to move as her entire body decided movement would be the biggest mistake as the creature straightened its shoulders. Dana released a shuddering breath, its inconsistency moving the air in front of her in thick clouds of warmth hitting cold.

A hand on her shoulder startled her.

‘Shit!’ she exclaimed.

‘What is it?’ Mulder asked as he appeared next to her. ‘What did you see?’

Scully shook her head lightly, her frizzing hair framing her face. ‘I… I don’t know. Something big.’ She pointed in the general direction of the creature, long gone, and Mulder looked from her to the void she was pointing at. ‘Well come on,’ he indicated his head before starting off down the path. Scully sighed and followed him. Through the rain and the mud, she thought. Gladly.

They found nothing. No creature, no bear. No signs of any human intervention in the killing of the two victims. Not in the forest, not in the lab later that afternoon – and somehow the lack of evidence made Mulder even more enthusiastic. Or obsessive, Scully noted. He paced around her, preyed on her findings and conclusions like a hawk above a field just waiting for that mouse to show: He wanted to go hunting. Tonight. She heard the suggestion before he had even told her, and she knew somewhere deep down that she’d be with him no matter how hard she tried to convince him otherwise.

So come nightfall Scully found herself in their rental on the edge of the woods.

Mulder had driven her back to their hotel and had surprised (or disgusted, or intrigued) her when he had pulled out his sasquatch suit, something he had warned her he’d bring but she hadn’t considered he would actually be insane enough to pack. She’d eyed him as he’d put it on, stating he wanted to be prepared to lie in the bushes all night if it meant catching this monster, human or otherwise. She’d raised her eyebrow, so often that the muscle operating it now hurt, and finally she’d relented and gotten into the driver’s seat to drive them to the edge of the forest.

‘You coming?’ he asked as he got out of the car, shaking his legs to get his outfit in full operation.

‘Nope, I’m good right here,’ Scully indicated the car around her. ‘You know, a roof, heating, dry floor… Not to mention, you know… No monsters.’

Mulder pursed his lips and looked squarely at her. ‘You don’t know what you’re missing,’ he sighed, and she made a gesture that told Mulder I know damn well what I’m missing, but I’m currently too tired, cold and dumbfounded by what’s happened the past hour to comment.

So he went out alone. For two full hours she heard nothing. Saw nothing. She drank the can of coke she’d brought, ate some sunflower seeds she found in a packet in the door and waited. She looked over the file once more, decided she knew this by heart by now and finally settled on a nap, hoping her partner would come back soon. Worry crossed her mind only once, just before she dozed off, when she heard a wolf howl at the rising moon.

The next thing she knew Mulder was back, defeated. Nothing. He’d seen nothing. He’d heard plenty, and as they drove back he started telling her about all the things he thought he’d heard, but he had seen no evidence of his abominable snowman whatsoever.

She drove him back in silence, like a mother bringing her child back from a school dance where he’d anticipated his first kiss but got nothing. She admired his positivity, the way he seemed to try and push himself on as much as he tried to get her to believe him, and deep down, she wondered if she told him she already did. These were no ordinary murders. That was no ordinary creature she’d seen. But as long as there was no scientific proof she’d keep all speculation to herself, or leave it to Mulder, and trust the evidence to find its way to the truth.

They got back to their rooms in the early hours of the morning. Mulder just pursed his lips and left her, and she felt sorry for him – but she quickly scolded herself, she should be feeling sorry for herself instead of him. Her toes were freezing, and so were her fingers. She had no idea how but her coat was soaked, probably from helping Mulder in and out of his suit, trying not to insult him as she handed him the… Helmet. Hat? She didn’t know the scientific terms for whatever it was he’d worn but she knew one thing. He probably was a hell of a lot warmer than she was.

Not that much later, in the pitch black of the night, Scully heard a noise. It’s close to three AM when her head finally hit he pillow, but she’s only granted a few moments of relative peace and quiet before she hears the trash cans bang against the wall. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ she muttered as she turned around, determined to sleep for at least two, possibly three hours. The noise got louder, and she jolted upright as she heard glass shatter. ‘Dammit,’ she cursed under her breath as she reached for her robe.

‘Mulder?’ she called as she got her flashlight out to investigate, thinking he might be outside already. She got no reply.

Scully pushed the faded purple curtain aside to see if she could make out any damage. The glass seemed intact so she decided to head to Mulders room to see if he was okay, grabbing her phone and key before heading into the cold night once more.

‘Scully?’

Mulder was out of bed as soon as he heard the glass shatter. He hadn’t been asleep to start with, having been sitting on his bed thinking about how to catch his killer, human or otherwise. The sound had startled him but he’d heard Scully move as well, and something in the chill running down the back of his spine told him she shouldn’t be out there alone. He threw on his coat and searched for his flashlight when he heard her voice.

‘Mulder!’ Scully yelled. ‘Get out here!’ He heard a fight, the scratching of metal over metal and something hit his door hard. He pushed to free himself from his room and found Scully, blood trickling down her temple, slumped against his door. ‘Holy shit, Scully,’ he jumped to her side. ‘I’m… I’m fine Mulder. He went… That way,’ she pointed.

Mulder didn’t move and fumbled with his flashlight, trying to get it to work. ‘Go!’ Scully practically pushed him away.

‘Who did you see?’ Mulder asked. Scully shook her head.

‘I don’t know,’ she admitted quietly. ‘He might come back.’ She pushed herself up to look behind Mulder, and immediately she ducked away again. ‘Watch out!’

Mulder ducked and the swish of a pitchfork narrowly missed his shoulder. ‘What the hell?’ he said, looking to find out who was wielding this strange weapon of choice. It was the motel owner, of course, and Scully squinted in fear mixed with comic surprise.

‘Really?’ Mulder sighed as he swiftly stood up, found his attacker and worked him to the ground. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ he asked as he kicked the pitchfork away from a very drunk man.

‘I…’ the man slurred. ‘Ya know, bears be rippin’ apart my trash. Keep me awake, I need to just… shut them up.’

Mulder listened to the man ramble on about the bears for a few moments before deciding he wasn’t going to get anything useful from him. ‘All right, let’s go,’ he said as he pulled handcuffs from his coat and secured the suspect.

All in all it was a short exchange, barely a few minutes, and Scully watched it with adrenaline-leeched interest as her temple throbbed. The wooden handle of the pitchfork had landed against her skull as she’d pushed the man away, fending off his attack that had been neither well-aimed nor effective in anything other than scaring her. She was fine, she repeated to herself before touching a hand to her forehead. Mulder disappeared with the man after he threw her a look and she nodded at him, acknowledging that it was okay if he left her for a few minutes. A sound behind her drew her attention and she watched, a helpless bystander to the images her mind conjured, how a trashcan tipped over and a large, slouched over figure disappeared back into the forest.

Mulder was back in no time. ‘Let me take a look at that,’ he indicated her brow.

‘It’s noting, really,’ Scully touched it tentatively again. ‘Where is he?’

Mulder shrugged. ‘I put him in the car for the time being. I called the deputy, he’ll be here soon. It’s getting light, Scully.’

‘I know,’ Scully sighed. ‘No rest for the wicked.’

Thankfully it took the deputy all but ten minutes to get there and another thirty for him to be gone again, taking Mr. Wilson with him to be questioned in the morning.

Scully raked her fingers through her hair. ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get some sleep before I head to the station,’ she groaned. Mulder stuck his hands in his coat pockets and looked at their appearances, both of them in pajamas and a coat. ‘I could use some shut-eye,’ he agreed.

Scully looked at him. ‘Could you…’

He raised his eyebrows at her as he started back towards his cabin. ‘What is it?’ he asked.

‘Could you hold me?’

He looked at her, his eyes glassy and suddenly filled with memories. ‘Sure Scully,’ he said, his voice softer than she thought he’d intended. He cleared his throat and opened the door for her. As she felt him follow her in his hand found its place solidly on the small of her back. Home.

She took a minute in the bathroom to check her wound, found it had stopped bleeding already and she tried as well as she could to clean up the mess that was her hair. She gave up eventually, using the hair tie she found in her coat pocket to tie half of her auburn tresses away before joining Mulder, tired, but relieved.

It was almost too natural for him to spoon her carefully to his warm body as she shivered and bit her lip. He warmed her quickly, his scent enveloping her in an irresistible sleeping bag of Mulder. She surrendered willingly to the peace that weighed down on them, familiar, soft and safe now. Reminding himself that this was a luxury, not a given, he breathed slowly and deeply to calm her beating heart. ‘This is a strange town,’ Scully whispered softly. ‘It’s bringing back all sorts of memories.’ Mulder nodded behind her, his full lip touching the base of her neck. ‘I know. But I guess you were right, there are no monsters here. Only humans. And sometimes, I don’t know which is worse.’

When they woke neither of them talked much about the dreams they’d had. It was awkward and sweet, like waking up together always was, but soon Scully was in her own room calling the local police station for an update as Mulder took a shower. They’d share the drive to the station and he’d open the station door for her, allowing her to stride in before him and command one person to get her this and another to fix that before sweetly asking him if he wanted a coffee. He liked this Scully. No-nonsense, no-morning person Scully. Old Scully.

His Scully.

That evening, after a grueling day of interviews and paperwork, they were suddenly back on their way home. There was no confession, but there was blood trace on the pitchfork and Scully had found a hair that she was almost certain would match one of the victims. They were no longer needed here.

‘Maybe that’s your Abominable Snowman’s gift to us,’ Scully mused softly as she looked past Mulder out of the plane window to the tick snowflakes that were softly falling down like feathers across the runway. ‘The reminder to be careful. To stay close to each other.’ Mulder smiled at her, covering her hand with his. ‘I wasn’t close enough, though, was I.’

‘You were,’ she said, locking eyes with him. The double meaning in her words wasn’t lost to him. He’d saved her. He’d saved himself. Not only from that madman today, but time and time again. That was the truth and it was the only truth that should matter to him.

‘I’m sorry, Scully,’ he said truthfully, the timbre in his voice low and deep with everything he wanted to say but didn’t know how. Her lip trembled as she searched his face and found her belief, her religion, in the curve of his brow and in the way his hand covered hers, binding her to him, a promise of a mistake never to be made again even though she’d been the one to run away from him this time.

‘I wanted to believe,’ he continued, ‘but once again you’ve proven me wrong. I should know better by now.’

Scully shook her head. ‘The fact that you don’t let me, or anyone else, tell you what to think or what to believe… It’s why… it’s why we work together so well. It’s why this town no longer believes in abominable snowmen, other than the ones kids make on Christmas Eve. It’s the reason I’d even follow you to these mountains in the first place.’

He just looked at her. The small cut above her eyebrow caught his attention and a fragile look of sorrow passed his gaze. He traced it with his softly burning eyes before raising his finger along the edge, carefully examining the damage once more, before trailing his finger down her cheek, dropping it to his lap and smiling softly at her.

Silence stretched between them. Scully tried to relax as the plane finally started to move, ready to bring her back to reality. Away from strangenesses and oddities, or maybe closer to them, she didn’t know. Would she ever be able to escape them? Or were they invisibly attached to her, or to Mulder? She closed her eyes and imagined a universe in which all Mulders wishes were fulfilled. Where all of hers were. Would he be happy? Fulfilled? Would she be part of his life after the X-files, if such a thing were to exist?

‘So,’ his voice startled her as the plane rattled into the sky. ‘What’s planned when you get home? Roast dinner with the Scully’s? A date night with God to repent?’ She scoffed and threw him a glare out of the corner of her eye. ‘Nope. A hot bath, dinner, a soft mattress and a book that doesn’t involve monster, mystery or a forest. Not necessarily in that order.’

‘Need help with that?’ Mulder said, his voice lined with feigned confidence. She stared at him for a moment, suddenly shocked he would take that leap like this. Then she shook her head, foregoing any misinterpretation of his words. Mulder swallowed. ‘I mean… with the dinner. Not the bath. Although…’

‘Don’t push it,’ she winked at him and decided what the hell, he risked his life for her, she could risk her dignity for him. ‘But if you’re offering to cook something more substantial than pizza for me, then yes.’

She doesn’t look at him. She doesn’t need to look at him to feel how his body grows in his chair, confidence apprehensively filling his pores. She feels his silent scream of victory, the moment he takes to compose himself and the way in which his fingers clasp over hers, a promise made in the quiet darkness of the sky.

Outside, far below them a bear cries loudly in defeat as the abominable snowman finally gets a chance to kill again. There will be blood on the motel porch the next morning – if the owner’s wife ever makes it out of bed, it will be the first thing she sees. She’ll inform the deputy and he’ll call the Bureau, telling their agents that maybe they haven’t caught a killer after all. It will turn their day around, forcing Scully to let go of her beliefs and follow Mulder’s crazy theories once again. It will inevitably chase her back into the woods, even if she’s not in any condition to run she’ll be running, after Mulder, with Mulder, in front of Mulder if that is what is required of her. They won’t find anything, they never will. As long as they are together, final truths will keep eluding them – but they won’t need them. Not as long as they have each other.

The yeti freely roaming the woods knows it.

The mountains know it.

The abandoned Christmas tree in Dana Katherine Scully’s house knows it.

And that’s where they’ll end up, two days later, naked, under a blanket on the couch in front of Scully’s fireplace. Wrapping paper will lie on the floor, crumbled and abandoned as the tv is silently showing images of Himalayan mountains, all working under the pretense of gift-giving and the spirit of Christmas when the only true gift they ever needed was each other.

Merry Christmas.


End file.
